Have you ever made the Two Hexagon Sweater? The basic concept is that a hexagon made up entirely of right angles will fold in half into an L shape, which can then be used as half a sweater or as a slipper pattern, or whatever else you can make with an L-shaped thing.
The One Skein Baby Pants from Ashlea at Heart Hook Home are a clever variation on that idea. If you make an octagon entirely out of right angles and then fold it in half, the result is a U shape that can be turned into pants if you seam the outer sides and add ribbing.
The pattern itself is well-written and easy to read. It also includes lots of clear instructional photos. I especially liked that the center part of each increase point is a treble crochet, instead of a chain, as it sharpens the points of the corners, but creates a solid fabric. Since you turn your work at the end of each round, the piece is also reversible until you make the seams.
My only criticism of this pattern is that the seams are sewn. I went ahead and crocheted them, which was convenient and created fewer loose ends than sewing would have. However, that's entirely a matter of personal preference, and I know some people prefer the look of a sewn seam.
The photos in the pattern of the finished product show it being worn as-is by a baby, but my experience is that crocheted ribbing, such as that used in this pattern, isn't nearly as elastic as its knitted counterpart. Since the ribbing on the pants is worked with a smaller hook than the rest of the pattern, it does succeed in drawing in the waist, but not enough to stay up on my baby, so I made a long, crocheted chain and threaded it through the ribbing to use as a drawstring.
Overall, this was a really fun project, and I definitely look forward to making it again.
This post has been linked to Busy Monday, Senior Salon, Inspire Me Monday, Wonderful Wednesday, The Stitchin' Mommy, and Thursday Favorite Things.
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